Hold on to your robes, because this week’s Supreme Court drama has us wondering whether justices should start carrying frequent flyer cards! ProPublica’s recent investigation revealed that Justice Clarence Thomas took several luxurious trips over the years paid for by none other than GOP mega-donor and real estate developer Harlan Crow. So the question now is: who exactly do these vacation-buddies think they’re fooling?

According to Thomas, he “was advised” that such “personal hospitality” from close friends didn’t need to be reported. What’s not to love about friends like these, right? The pair have enjoyed jaunts to destinations like Indonesia, the Bohemian Grove in California, and the Adirondacks. Because if you’re not jet-setting with a powerful donor, are you even a Supreme Court justice?

However, the federal judiciary’s policy-making body appears to be raining on Thomas’s parade, having recently adopted stricter gift-reporting requirements that clarify the “personal hospitality” exception. Seems like the good ol’ days of free vacations might be coming to an end!

Justice Thomas isn’t exactly a newcomer to the world of judicial ethics controversies. Remember when he was urged to recuse himself from cases involving the Jan. 6 Capitol attack due to his wife Ginni’s involvement in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results? Ah, good times.

Unsurprisingly, the ProPublica investigation sparked outrage from those pushing for stronger ethics rules at the Supreme Court. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez even called for Thomas’s impeachment, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin vowed his committee would take action.

While a group of Democrats has reintroduced a bill for a binding code of ethics for the justices, it’s unclear whether such a proposal would withstand legal challenges due to potential separation-of-powers issues. But with controversies like these cropping up around the highest court in the land, it might be time for the justices to remember that while they may enjoy private jets and fancy yachts, their real job is to serve the people!